As part of London Beer City, Simply Hops are here tonight with a ‘Meet the Hop’ event. Around a dozen beers have been selected to showcase various hop varieties from around the world. By the time I arrive, only two of the cask beers are left, but the keg and key-keg range is superb. A good crowd present and I leave much lighter of wallet. Unfortunately, my tasting notes were scribbled on the back of a copy of the Evening Standard, which I then accidentally threw away. So just memory.

Beer

ABV

Score

Notes

Ebeltoft Gardbryggeri - Straight Outta Boston

7.20

Cloudy pale golden beer in the style of an American Pale Ale. Strong. Superb.

Tiny Rebel - Cali

5.60

This was juicy fruit all the way. Older readers might remember a kiddies fruit drink called Um Bongo (rumoured to be drunk in the Congo) – it was like that. I think the main hop was Citra.

Eight Degrees - Big River

5.30

An Irish brewed IPA, featuring Australian hops and tasting of tangerines.

Brewers Brothers - Marina Golden Ale

5.50

Spanish brewed.

RedWillow - Feckless

4.10

A good, dark, malty Bitter – no doubt with Fuggles and/or Goldings. Tasty, but not in the same league as some of the other beers tried tonight.

XT Brewing - No. 1 Blonde

4.20

Not Tried

08 Apr 2015 (Stephen Harris)

Busy here at 8pm, with a private party upstairs and loads of City lawyer types in the ground floor bar and on the pavement. Roosters are the ‘Brewery of the Month’.

Beer

ABV

Score

Notes

Rooster's - Azacca

4.30

Tasty.

Rooster's - Cream

4.70

Not Tried

Rooster's - Wild Mule

3.90

Not Tried

07 May 2014 (Stephen Harris)

Our pub crawl numbers peak at around 20 in here, and we pretty much fill the ground floor bar. We have arrived too late for a ‘Meet the Brewer’ session with Ilkley Brewery – but at least get to try the new Ilkley beer.

Beer

ABV

Score

Notes

Ilkley - Mash Tonne

5.40

A marvellous, dark brew – a brown ale with blackberry juice and tea amongst the ingredients. I loved it.

Ilkley - Mary Jane

3.50

Not Tried

This ran out soon after we arrived.

Waen - Janners Pride

4.60

Not Tried

17 Apr 2014 (HSB)

15:00 Another visit to show a different group of pub enthusiasts the magnificent bar back.

Beer

ABV

Score

Notes

Williams Brothers - Black

4.20

Great Heck - Powermouse

3.60

Not Tried

Firebrand - Table PA

3.60

Not Tried

13 Feb 2014 (HSB)

2nd Heritage pub of the tour. The feature of interest being the magnificent Victorian bar back, although it is thought that it was moved from another pub in the 1960s.

Beer

ABV

Score

Notes

Waen - TWA

3.70

Windsor & Eton - Windsor Knot

4.00

Not Tried

Moor - Amoor

4.50

Not Tried

21 Jan 2014 (Stephen Harris)

My first visit here since the re-launch, and I have to say it is a massive improvement on the old Greene King place.

About the Hack & Hop

Summary of Beer Scores

This pub was founded as the Scotch Stores in around 1850 and rebuilt in its present form for the Lion Brewery in 1898. By the 1970s it was a Charrington’s pub and had been renamed the Coach & Horses, the Victorian interior having been opened out into a single, quite small bar area. The pub was acquired by Greene King in 1999. It passed to Pubs of Distinction in 2013 and was renamed (again) the Hack & Hop. There is a small, quite elegant ground floor bar and a first floor restaurant. Four handpumps form the centrepiece to the bar, flanked by banks of keg taps. In 2019 leased to Portobello Pub Co.

We have visited this pub 7 times, seen 24 different beers and tried 11 of them.